Retracting type theater chair



April 15, 1952 A. C. HovEN ET AL 2,593,145

RETRCTING TYPE THEATER CHAIR Filed March 7, 1950 Patented Apr. 1v5, 1952 UN ITED; rSiI- OFF l CES.. 7

vRn'rmiCTING- TYPE IT'HEATER CHAIR- Alfred '.HbverlWalter NordmarKk,.;.z3.ndg

liaxn SnLindhergrGrand Rapids, Mich., assign-1 lors to American- Seating*V Company,`- Grand Rapids, Mich. ,a corporation .of `New .Jersey Originalapplication Novembe'175,*1947;1Serial No. 784,182.` Dividedand this :application March 7, 1950, Seral;No.:148,228

9 Claims. (ol..155+116)' 'Thegpresent invention relates totheater chairs and'fxlnoreparticularly l to theater `chairs of Athe vretracting Ktypef This application is `afdivision frorrhgour cl3-pending application .Seriali No.

7$4-,12-1ed Ifovember5, 1947, now maturedv .into Patent No. 2,506,151, issued May. 2, 195.0,..which `latter application is a continuationinpart of. our application Serial No. .767,992 ledAugust 11,

1947, also .colpendirigi which issued lon November 7, 1950, as Patent No..2,529,451.

yfwY'Ifheflprirrlary objects of the invention are. Sto provide.. a .chair `structure of the: retractingA type for. use in'thetersorthe like, in which chana `ine(.:liarrical linkagejas described andclairnejd in our, `colpendir1g application Serial No." 7843182 is pas'geofothertheaterpatrons in front of the chairoccupant; to provide such "a chair'in which Ythechair seat is mounted in such a `manner that 'the .seat is movable'. rearwardly-downwardly and forwardly-upwardly' inwan approximately 'straight .pathV and is maintained at substantiallythe same angle' of forward-upward inclination during such niovementsyto' providesuch a chair in which the back .ismeyable' .rearwardly and forwardlywith f. thejseatand isang'ularlytilted duringy suchmove- Aments ,so .thatwhen in its forward position' the .backvisrearwardlyfupwardly' inclinedjand when inf its` rearward position said back is substantially vertical; and., in general to' providelJ retracting type theater .chai-r which is comfortable. vquiet and 'sirio o'th in operationand attractive in appearance.

illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, .whereligure. 1 isa side elevational. view oa theater forl ,auditorium c'hairjof.y the retracting WDC. @the `vchair .being here shown .with .the seatJand back thereof intheirforward or .unretractedpositions V .Figurez isla sideelevational.view ofthe chair showninliigure f1, thechair beinhef hown retracted positions ,.FigIire is` anenlarged, fragmentary., front ele- Vational view of ,thelchain shown partly 'invertical section taknon line3--3 f Figure .1;1`

wi'thlthe..seatand back thereof in theirjrearwand.

y `Eigure 4 i'san enlarged, fragmentary, hori- .fzontlsectional view cipants of vthe ;ch'air,` vtaken "online ,4-4 'of .Figure 1 and c Figure 5l is .an enlarged. fragmentary. AVertical sectional view ofzotherpartslof the chair,f..tal;en

on lmet-1 5 of- Figure 1..r c

Referringnowin detail to this drawing; `the retracting type theater chai'rlther-e shown .generally comprisesa chair sea'tu Il) and a :chair back I I-'in- `terconnected-.as hereinafter fully described to form a seat and back assembly'moun-ted on standards I 2 which ,form` tlietiixedv supporti'i'ig,.fratrie -forjthe chair. k.'Iliernountings.atoppositesides of the chair are substantially identical and embody the mechanical linkage;whichc-isfdescribed .findetail an-yd; claimed inourcorpending application SerialNol 784,182 iiled November 5 ,.194'1."` The -mountings compriseupstanding linksl I3 having their. lower vends piv9tally.connected at. It 4the standards I 2 -neanthe rearlof-fthe standardsfand atthe approximate levelof the .chair seat-Rear supporting'links I5 have their upperends `pivotallyconnected'atl to the upper ends of the `upstanding links I3 andTv depend therefrom., Front supporting links I'I- have their upper endsplvotally connected yat I8: to, upper iorwardv extensions I9 onrthe -upstandingA-:linls :I3 and likewise-depend therefrom. Seat carriers generally u designated 20havej their `forward ,ends pivotally connected 'at .2 I5 to` the lower ends fof the` front supportinglinks -I'I and havef Vtheir rearwardiends pivotally connected at'22 to thelowerends of. the reary supportinglinks I5; n

The seat carriers. 20;- comprise `spaced y apart Ainnerand outerfplafes designated A23\ and zrespectively wh-ichgform spaced AbearingsAV for lthepiyots 2l and 22.: These pla.tes23;andV 24:have'in w,ardly extending horizontal flanges v2 51- andV f 2d frespetively which are. secured .together-and to:brackets 21 by -means of.. machine; screws :28 "extending throughA apertures: in the plates ,and threaded'iin the fbracket'sl, The chair ,s'eatll ispiyotally mounted at 29fon: andbetween thel bracketsli at oppositefsid'es of tliejchair. i l I Depending linksv=30 haveV their .upperf .ends pivotally connectedat-BI to thestandards near vthe -upper` lmiddles of the-standards above-the level of the chair seat: Guidellinls32lhavetheir forward I ends r-pivotally *connected ati331 tol the lower v'ends of the f depending links' 30 -and .have

,theirrearward ends flpivotally connected 'at`4 22 tov the pivotal ycoritiection's -betweenthe rear supvvporting links'IS and thefseatcarriers 20;

' nel or guideway 4I nected at 36 to the adjacent upstanding link I3. These connections are such that the ratio of each depending links entire length to that portion thereof which lies between its pivotal connections at 35 and 3| to the connecting link and the standard respectively is approximately double the ratio of each upstanding links entire length to that portion thereof which lies between its pivotal connections 36 and I4 to the connecting link and the standard. As a result of this relationship, which is described in more detail in our yco-pending application above referredV to, the

v-back also moves rearwardly and tilts from its rearwardly-upwardly inclined position shown in Figure 1 to its substantially vertical position shown in Figure 2. f

Rearward movement of the seat and the back is stopped by contact of the upper ends of-the -links I3 with stops 38 on the standards I2, while 'forward movement of the seat and theback is stopped by contact of the seat carriers with stops 39 on the'standards. It will be apparent that many other means for stopping these forward and rearward movements might be contrived and such means, or the stops 38 and 39 shown, may

" if desired be equipped with cushioning and silencing rubber bumpers (not shown). Also not shown in the drawings is means for shielding the linkage from the chair occupant, but a convenient method of accomplishing this is to extend the side portions `of the sheet metal back for- The retracting chair described above is especially well adapted for installation in either straight rows of chairs or in curved rows wherein the common supports for adjoining chairs, or

middle standards as they arecalled, converge slightly inwardly toward the front, the long links I3, I5, 30 and I'I providing the necessary flexibilityfor such installation in curved rows. This flexibility is also useful in compensating for inaccuracies in the placement of the standards.

In orderto prevent undesirable side play in the seat and back, there is preferably provided a guide at one side or if desired at both sides lof the chair. The guide shown comprises an extension 40 on the seat carriers plate 24 (see Fig. 5) which projects downwardly, then outwardly, and then upwardly into an inverted U-shaped chansecured to the adjacent standard I2 at the front and rear as by rivets 42.

may desirably have oppositely stamped semispherical embossings 43 (see Fig. 5) which insure a smooth bearing of the guide against the side 4 tive in appearance.

lie

' wardly and flange them outwardly to form housings for themechanisms.

and of the occupant thereof are supported entirely by the mechanical linkage mounted on the standards and hereinbefore described.

It will thus be seen that a theater chair of the retracting type is provided which is smooth in operation, flexible to meet varying conditions of installations, sturdy in construction and attrac- While but one specific embodiment of the invention has been herein shown and described, it will be understood that numerous details may be altered or omitted without departing from the spirit of the invention as the same is defined by the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly, upstanding links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the seat and back assembly, depending links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the frame forwardly of the upstanding links and having their lower ends connected to the seat and back assembly, connecting links connecting the upstanding links to the depending links intermediate their upper and lower ends, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat and back assembly.

2. In a chair, a frame, a seat and back assembly in which the seat and back are pivotally connected for interrelative movement, upstanding links having their lower endspivotally connected lto the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the back, depending links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the frame forwardly of the upstanding links and having their lower ends pivotally'connected to the seat, connecting links connecting the upstanding links to the depending links intermediate their upper and lower ends, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat and back assembly.

3. In a chair, a frame, aseat andV back assembly in which the seat and back are pivotally connected for interrelative movement, .upstanding links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the fname and their upper ends pivotally connected to the back, depending links having their A upper ends pivotally connected to the frame for- "at opposite sides of the frame, a seat mounted 'The portion ofthe seat carriers extension 40 whichextends upwardly into the guideway 4I between the seat carriers, a back having its opposite sides pivotally connected at the bottom to the seatvcarriers, upstanding links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the back, depending links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the frame forwardly of the upstanding links and having their lower ends connected to the seat carriers, connecting links connecting the upstanding links to the depending links intermediate their upper and lower ends, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat and the back.

5. In a chair, a frame, seat carriers'disposed at opposite sides of the frame, aseat mounted between the seat carriers, a back having its 0ppending links and having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the seat carriers, connect- -ing links connecting the upstanding links to the `depending links intermediate their upper and lower ends; and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat and the back.

6. Ina chair,a frame, seat carriers disposed at opposite sides of the frame, a seat mounted between the seat carriers, a back having its opposite sides pivotally connected at the bottom to the seat carriers, upstanding links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pvctally connected to the back, depending links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the frame forwardly of the upstanding links, guide links having their forward ends pivotally connected to the lower ends of the at opposite sides of the frame, a seat mounted between the seat carriers, a 'back having its opposite` sides pivotally connected `at the Ibottom t0 the seat carriers, npstanding links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame and their upper ends pivotally connected to the back, depending links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the frame forwardly of the upstandinglinks, guide links having then` forward ends pivotally connected to the lower ends of the depending links and having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the rearward ends of the seat carriers, means for supporting the forward ends of the seat carriers for forward and rearward movements comprising front supporting llinks pivotally connected at their upper ends to the upper ends of the upstanding links and pivotally connected at their lower ends to the forward ends of the seat carriers, connecting links cons necting the upstanding links to the depending links intermediate their upper and lower ends, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat and back.

8. In a chair, spaced upright chair-supporting standards, upstandino' links pivotally connected to said standards near the rear thereof lat the approximate level ofthe chair seat and extending upwardly therefrom, supporting links depending A from the upper ends of the upstanding links, a

chair back mounted on said supporting links and movable therewith, seat carriers connected to the lower ends of said supporting links, a chair seat mounted on the seat carriers, depending links having their upper ends pivotally connected to the standards above the level of the chair seat, guide links pivotally connecting the lower ends of the depending links to the lower ends of the supporting links, connecting links connecting the upstanding links to the depending links intermediate their upper and lower ends, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat and back.

9. In a chair, a fran-le, a seat and 'back assembly, upstanding links having their lower ends pivotally connected to the frame andtheir upper ends pivotally connected to the seat 'and back assembly, depending links having their upper ends pivotally :connected to the frame forwardly of the upstanding links and having their lower ends connected to the seat and back assembly, connecting links having their rearward ends pivotally connected to the upstanding links and having their forward ends pivotally connected to the depending links, the ratio of each depending links entire length to that portion thereof which lies between its connections' to a connecting link and a standard being approximately double the ratio of each upstanding links entire length to that portion thereof which lies between its connections to a connecting link and a standard, and stop means for limiting the forward and rearward movements of the seat `and back.

ALFRED C. HOVEN. WALTER E. NORDMARK. WILLIAM S. LINDBERG.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,877,769 Knapp Sept. 20, 1932 2,365,570 Lee c Dec. 19, 1944 2,506,151 Hoven May 2, 1950 2,529,451 Hoven Nov. 7, 1950 

